Lead Test Manager (£57,515 - £82,430)

Would you like to work with cutting edge of cloud-first technologies?

Do you have experience with modern software development lifecycles in product delivery and test?

Have you deep technical breath, supported by a good knowledge of the functional requirements and activities?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

At the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), we take testing very seriously. We have Software Development Engineers in Test (SDETs) and Test Engineers embedded in our delivery squads and specialists in our Performance and Independent testing teams. We are looking for an experienced Lead Test Manager to provide strategic leadership for test and quality engineering across a broad and complex delivery environment.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency - Department for Transport Careers

As a Lead Test Manager, you will play a critical leadership role within the organisation, taking ownership of the independent testing strategy and assurance across multiple concurrent deliveries. You will provide oversight and coordination of testing activities at scale, ensuring they are planned, executed and reported effectively.

You will work closely with suppliers, delivery partners and internal engineering teams, setting clear expectations and providing direction to ensure testing activities meet agreed standards and deliver meaningful assurance. You will challenge approaches where necessary and drive improvements to testing outcomes.

You will bring a strong, current understanding of modern testing and development practices. Working within an agile delivery environment and targeting cloud-first solutions, you will influence how quality is embedded throughout the delivery lifecycle. You will engage proactively with multiple delivery squads, taking a pragmatic, risk-based approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

A significant proportion of the role will focus on large-scale transformation of the IT estate, while also providing leadership on deliveries driven by legislative change and legacy systems, ensuring appropriate testing strategies are applied in each context.

You will represent the testing and quality engineering capability internally and externally, acting as a senior advocate for best practice across government and the wider profession. You will contribute to strategic planning, continuous improvement, and the development of sustainable test capability.

If you are successful, you will be part of the new electronic Vehicle Excise Duty programme which is a new legislative, digital service being delivered by DVLA to modernise how Vehicle Excise Duty is administered and delivered digitally. This is an exciting time to join us!

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to: Lead a broad area in technical tooling, engineering approaches and test types and techniques to address risks earlyDefine engineering standards, enabling others to follow themLead and guide teams in quality engineering strategies and practicesLead and guide test engineersEscalate risks to senior stakeholdersLead and implement continuous testing, identifying opportunities to test earlier

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Open Sessions: Would you like to find out more about the role, the team and what it’s like to work in our department? If so, we are organising an open session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on 28/05/2026 at 12:00 Sign up here

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